#TeamYoHan
Kim GaOn is the most useless, weak, self righteous goody2shoes masquerading as a good person. His character as a judge lacks believability, there is no way such person can ever be a successful lawyer much less a judge. Someone that can be easily manipulated, doesn’t have any self convictions and goes wherever the wind blows and always looks like he wants to cry could never have made it to any judicial bench in any country in the world even in Korea I believe. I swear to God I would have dropped this drama with how many times the rage and anger in my heart was boiling to the extent I felt like I could literally explode with how completely useless the character GaOn was. Don’t even get me started with his cop girlfriend, she was basically of no use in the series and someone said Elijah’s wheelchair was more useful than GaOn and I think that statement applied to his cop girlfriend. She points her gun at people like it’s a toy, she goes to into dangerous situations without calling for backup and conducts vindictive/personal unauthorized investigations. You are a cop that claim you seek justice but knew of the corruptions going on and she never went after any of the corrupt officials but she was hell bent on going after YoHan and bringing him down because she was jealous of his budding relationship/friendship with GaOn, her character did not make any sense and I feel the writers just threw her in there in other the combat the BL tone the series was giving with the intense chemistry of YoHan aka Ji Sung & aka GaOn. I solely blame the writers and directors for giving us such a useless character, that was basically a waste of space.The chairwoman was such a badass character. She was evil and knew why she was evil and made no apologies for it. She was super smart and the actress who played her portrayed the sultry creepy evil mastermind to perfection.
The President was such a weird character because he was more like a comic relief that no one asked for.
Why then did I not drop the drama and rate it so high if I had all this complain and fury, ladies and gentlemen it’s because of the enigmatic character called YoHan played by the ultra super talented Ji Sung. OMG he was everything and so much more. His charisma and presence as the chief judge was captivating, enthralling and like I said literally everything. His little smiles and smirks like he knows your deepest darkest secrets and he’s going to use them against you and there is nothing you can do about it was insanely good. He reminded me so much of Vincenzo because he has brains and brawn in equal measure, I slightly preferred Vincenzo because he wasn’t boggled down by self righteous morality and faced evil with evil, dishing out revenge especially capital revenge punishment to the deserving perpetrators, while the writers here made the useless and weak GaOn a kind of moral compass that ended up biting him in the ass in ep15.
YoHan’s badassry and the chairwoman’s cunning savagery made me rate this show highly because I refuse to let the mastery that were these characters be overshadowed by the uselessness that was GaOn and his cop girlfriend.
I doubt will be rewatching this so it 5/10 for me.
Overall 9/10.
I highly recommend but prepare to be frustrated and angry.
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This review may contain spoilers
Not at all disappointing!! Has everything in it.
This drama has everything romance, suspense, mystery, comedy and what not perfect story, acting and superb cast.Simply put ,one of the best dramas.
Saw it for Ji Sung and Jin young fell in love with Kim Min-jung ( JungSun-Ah) she portrayed her role so well that I was super mad at her and also felt pity at the same time.
Kudos to all the cast, and staff for making another legendary drama that will go down in history!.
Came here for Ji Sung after watching doctor john as I simply couldn't move on from him.
Jin Young improved a lott from his previous drama, he expresses his emotions more freely and profoundly.
His chemistry with Park Gyu Young(Yoon Soo Hyun) was so adorable , so sad that they didn't have a perfect ending.
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I will be going back to this drama time and again
I have been engulfed by this drama while it was airing. The dystopian world portrayed is ever so real for many places around the world. I could find many similarities with current events and leaders! There are many loop holes in the drama but for me its a 10 because it has engaged me in a way that very few dramas have. The acting, production, OSTs all were steller. Barring a few, I have empathised with most characters icluding the villains. It has made me question my own views on morality, values. It was a good drama watching experience for me.Was this review helpful to you?
The writer loves Yohan a lil bit too much
And that is the pros and cons of this drama.Yohan and Jisung hard carry the plot with his intricate motive and planning. I couldn't put label into his character even till the last ep. Is he an anti-hero? Is he simply a hero? Because as you see throughout the drama, though he was doing it for "the greater good" in his mind, in the end, his motive was mainly for his own revenge. Also, god, should I say more about Jisung? We all know he's a freaking good actor who blends into any character given to him and has lots of charisma.
The casts were superb, from the the female lead to the president. I still get chill remembering the president, he looked so much like you-know-who. And I wish I could love Sunah more than this, she was an interesting villain who has a soft spot for people in need and actually didn't want to go to the length the other villains had taken, if only the writer explore her character more. The cinematography was good, moreover on the first half and when Gaon was exploring Yohan's home, I screenshooted lots of scene from that one. And the songs. I love the song choice, watch it or not, everyone needs to hear Nightmare by Sondia.
Then the downfall, how can you got a hand of a handful of fine to great actors, and not maximizing their potential? Especially the "good" characters, they were so dumbly written, as if good people means easy to fool and a saint who's always in lawful path. It was frustrating to see our second leads being so stupid and reckless (Soohyun not calling for backup, Gaon kept running in circle), I mean, when you want to doubt Yohan all the time, be subtle and manipulative, no? Even Jinjoo got better character development than our two second leads.
Still I give it good rating because Yohan makes me forgive the rest lol.
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This review may contain spoilers
ignore the bad character development
What I liked:Kang Yo Han was definitely my favorite character, but that is mainly because I am a sucker for morally grey characters. He was "the law" but did not abide by it and often used violence and money to get his way. However, it was to "protect" the country.
My favorite scene was the "we are the light" Was it predictable? Yes. The moment they pulled out their phones I just knew what it was going to be. But the scene was just *chefs kiss*
The chemistry between Kim Ga On and Kang Yo Han's family was prenominal. They were sooo cute. Moments of fluff I loved.
What I did not like:
Everyone was just so easy to manipulate. The good guys, and the bad guys. Jung Sun Ah was manipulated into believing that the virus was real, but after being told, she goes to the site, looks around and bam she suddenly turns good again. Like no one tried to stop her as she entered, she just made a pained face, and went back to the other judges to fix the shit she created.
Kim Ga On was also very easy to manipulate. His teacher turned out to be bad... Woah didn't see that one coming ;-;.... Oh no, turns out he did a very bad thing by reporting his co-worker to the police.
Then Oh Jin Joo was soo easy to manipulate as well. Like she believed this person who was bought over by Kang Yo Han, would end up betraying him. That would be her downfall.
Some scenes could have been elaborated a little more to increase suspense and the number of scenes trying to do suspense could be reduced so that it doesn't feel rushed.
Yoon Soo Hyun was also terrible in the way her character was useless. I didn't understand what everyone was complaining about until I got to episode 12. She was acting as a foil to the main character, but their romance was not even convincing. I knew nothing about their background to make me believe they were in love. Then when she suddenly dies, like omg you were told not to go there. Like everything is almost her fault. I did not even feel anything at her death since there was nothing to feel. She was not developed at all besides being a "cop." Like what drives her morals? Why does she not listen to Kim Ga On when he tells her that it wasn't them who killed them, besides the obvious reason that she is a cop. Because there are are evidently many corrupt cops who have reasons for their corruption like family, greed, etc. Furthermore, she is a main character, so its probably important to provide more background on her.
Overall: lots of background information could be provided to characterize their current development.
Story: Morally grey characters. Could have been better with the build ups.
Acting/Cast: Some of the characters could have been better portrayed. Might have been the screenwriters fault. Specifically Soo Hyun.
Music: Wow it was pretty good. Normally I don't remember music unless something stands out. This was memorable. I loved the opening song.
Rewatch value: I rarely re watch stuff. This one i probably won't because i already know whats gonna happen so there is no suspense.
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The acting is beyond perfect. Watching Ji Sung play the role of Judge Kang Yo Han, I had my heart in my throat most of the time. This actor gets better as the years go by and he always chooses to play unusual and powerful roles. After watching him, you cannot imagine anyone else in this role. The other actors do not disappoint either. But I would specially like to mention the one who played the President. He was such a repugnant character and his rabble rousing tactics were so reminiscent of certain politicians in history and at present.
The music enhanced the play and I would encourage anyone who enjoys a serious issue-based story, to watch this one.
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The devilish entertainment
Its intense, its bold political corruption, manipulation inbetween friendship love hate lies bromance.. Its power packed ..Its all in one
Ji sung eyes speaks more than him.. His every movie or series had made me love n respect him more... And for this character no one would have suit better than him.. He is into the character n light up the screen with fire
Ga-on is simply lovable .. His chemistry with ji sung(kang yo han) is too good.. He wants to believe him but yet fear . The pain of loss of loved ones bond them together..
Kim min jung the female lead or villian.. U need to watch her a strong character driving the wheels of the nations without being seen.. She behave like a puppet but actually made entire national leaders her puppet..
No words actually completely describe how it is but surely worth a watch
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This review may contain spoilers
most definitely worth watching
the two main male leads, ji sung (kang yo han) and jinyoung (kim gaon) have amazingly perfect chemistry with eachother. watching the drama and when there were moments when they got mad with eachother were hard to watch cause of how close they seem. the whole series really seemed as it almost revolved around them.
i liked how kang yohan was almost always there for gaon. when he got into trouble, yohan appeared out of nowhere and basically saved him.
what else surprised me is both of their family histories being tragic. i feel like this was a great plot twist to bring the two closer in a psychological way as they would understand each other.
i would definitely rewatch this drama as much as 10 times. i don't usually write reviews, but the devil judge is definitely worth it. well made kdrama with amazing actors and stories.
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WHAT A SHOW!!!!!
So I took some time to actually watch this series. I kept getting youtube videos on my page but sort of pushed it aside. Then I could no longer resist the pull of Ji Sung. My lord that man!!! I also love Kim Min Jung who gave a stellar performance as usual. The cherry on the top was, of course, Park Jin Young, whom I had never had the pleasure of watching before. Commendable young actor.The acting, the acting, the acting!
Awesome performances by the entire cast, to be honest. It is one of the few series I have watched where all of the actors do such an amazing job. Truly remarkable. The entire series is gripping and has you on the edge of your seat because of the acting. The male lead characters were phenomenal in every way. Ji Sung was breathtaking in his role, I can tell you what else was breathtaking in him but then that would be a spoiler :) Park Jin Young followed Ji Sung's lead step by step. Neither one of them tried to outdo the other, when one was leading the other generously stood aside. I thought the manner in which their relationship developed was brilliantly written. I enjoyed every moment of their scenes together. Kim Min Jung also delivered her performance as the devil incarnate with impeccable grace. She was flawless. Even the despicable president was excellent. For me, every episode brought with it outstanding acting.
The plot:
I enjoyed the storyline. It was familiar but with a twist. I am relatively new to the South Korean drama scene but have almost only been watching Korean since last September and in this series, what particularly marked me was the ruthless, brutal honesty in how the writers depict the wretched world of the powerful; how manipulative they are, hungry for money, neglectful of the people they are meant to serve. It also makes the audience think about what true democracy actually means if it actually existed, that is. What is a democratic process? The judge faces us with choices that are difficult to make and we are left wondering what would we have done if we were put in such situations. How would have I voted? For me, the story touched on gender, power, politics, equality, opportunity, abuse, cruelty, deceit among other things. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The music: OST
Fresh, exciting, not as repetitive as in other series. A big thumbs up!
Summary:
The Devil Judge is truly one of the best South Korean dramas I have watched in a year. My hat goes off to all the actors. This is the product of a truly homogeneous, hard-working, modest, cast and crew. They clearly worked together towards making this series a success and I commend them and thank them for their effort.
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A strange and creative drama
The film ensures entertainment and brings a lot of reflection to viewers. In the half first, the writer handled the situations very well, bringing excitement and curiosity to the viewers. Since the writer is the judge, that makes his script even more special. I really get shivers every time the online trials are over. However, that was lacking in the final trial.The author is an experienced person, has an in-depth view of politics, the political details and plots are handled very well by the scriptwriter. The script brings the viewer's emotions to a climax at decisive moments. However, the construction for some characters is really not good. Typically, Ga On and Soo Hyun. I feel these two characters are very shallow. Even Ga On whose background is the tragedy of his parents' death by a scammer, Soo Hyun is Ga On's protective friend who acts almost like his mother. But the motives and views of these two characters are unclear. So I find it difficult to understand them. I know we need characters who ruin a favorable situation, but sometimes they annoy me so much that it's hard to keep watching.
The commendable thing about this movie is the beautiful, artistic, soulful scenes combined with emotional soundtrack. I like slow motion scenes with no voices but only a sad violin sound. However, in the last episode these scene is a bit abused.
About the actors, Ji Sung is the same as always, he breathes life into the character, his acting level has reached the upper level. This drama wouldn't be so successful if it weren't for someone with the same acting ability as Ji Sung. And the one who surprised me the most was Kim Min Jung. I've seen two of her dramas and don't like her. In this drama, I really like Sun Ah, interesting, smart, dirty, but also a bit naive, Kim Min Jung and Ji Jung's chemistry is also amazing.. Kim Min Jung has been very successful in portraying such a complex character. I want to know more about Jung Sun Ah, if only they could take some of Soo Hyun and Ga On's time for Sun Ah's past. Next is Park Jin Young and Park Gyu Young. Park Jin Young acted quite well in the crying scenes, but in other scenes that required the maturity and determination of a judge, he was still not good, his actions were still a bit awkward and unnatural. Park Gyu Young is the same, there's no chemistry between the two, even if it's a friendship, it's awkward. But in general, their acting is also acceptable.
This is a worth watching. One of the best drama this year. Hopefully Ji Sung will receive nominations and awards in Baeksang.
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The natural human feelings in amazing visual setting
Ok, it's time to write about my first and one of the most favorite Kdramas.When my friend was watching it I was interested in but I had never watched Kdramas before and expected something more... traditionally romantic or 'vanille'. Well.
It stroke me by the amazing visual and music from the very 1st ep and when I saw Kang Yo-Han (by gorgeous Ji-Sung) I fell in love with this series immediately. It's astonishing how the acting of all the cast, the setting an plot here are absolutely phenomenal.
I discovered Park Jin-Young not only as a cool guy from K-pop and Tom Ford campaigns, but an actor whose career I want to follow. Baek Hyun Jin was great portraying Heo Jung Se with all his hysterical personality we can laugh at and be afraid of at the same time.
If we're talking about music, it's just amazing and the Tempest (main theme) is in my playlist for ever.
So, the Devil Judge is 100% recommended to everyone who love the beautiful, intelligent cinema about pure love (it has no announced romantic-line but it's all about love), human passions and politics.
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when the story is more about the villains
A story set in a dystopian kind of Korea with no real world building that leaves too much unsaid leaving viewers often a bit confused. After a virus devastated the country leaving the vast majority in poverty the rich elite take over and use claims for social recovery to make themselves richer and stay in power. The premise of the show is based on a judge that has persuaded the government to broadcast a live trial show to further push their narrative. But Judge Kang really ends up using the platform to derail the corrupt elite and try to punish them for their actions when 'justice is silent against power and money".A thought provoking drama that challenges power and wealth with the hands of the majority through a public trial. The cases I actually found quite interesting in the first few chapters and looked forward to seeing how the Judges would fight back against the narratives the corrupt officials were writing. But the trials are a very small percentage in terms of screen time for this drama. Instead most of what you see is the group of rich individuals and their scheming with a few homey scenes of our protagonists.
I'm not sure I have ever hated a protagonist in a story as much as I hate Kim Ga On. For a heavily character driven drama this story how did they end up with such a poorly written character in Ga On? Written to be the moral compass to Kang Yo Han's morally grey Ga On instead is the most easily manipulated, wishy washy, pathetic character. His loyalty changed from episode to episode and his incredibly stupid actions make you wonder how someone like him would have even become a judge. Judge Oh's presence and short lived manipulation was a better portrayal for the role he never fit.
I did not love the acting for Secretary Jung but the character herself was easy to hate and make your blood boil. In that sense she pulled off exactly what she was written to do. But so much of the story is spent showing us these flamboyant rich elites that hold the country in their hands and lead with money instead of wit. Jung is well versed in the art of manipulation and flattery to get exactly what she wants which is to make it to the very top of the pyramid. And she very much manipulates every single person she comes across. While not overly genius planning she instead makes it so far due to the characters around her made to constantly make dumb decisions. With Ga On honestly being the biggest obstacle for Kang Yo Han.
All in all while the drama is shot well with a great OST the plot and main characters will leave you wanting to pull your hair out. If you are looking for a good revenge drama then this is not it. If you are looking for a political drama, again, this is not it. If you are looking for a romance then this is definitely not it. Because what this ends up giving you is an attempt at all three but with none of the genres truly landing.
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